Don't Forget the Ariadne Thread
by Subzero Dragon
Summary: The Nidhogg guild of Etria: an upstart band of adventurers with colorful characters and a knack for finding trouble. The Yggdrasil Labyrinth: a verdant maw of trees that swallow the unprepared whole. As Nidhogg's adventures begin, the Labyrinth and its denizens soon shows its true colors... (An EO/ EOIV story.)
1. Nidhogg

**_Chapter 1: Nidhogg_**

Finally, two months of traveling all lead up to this. The young Landsknecht peered out of the carriage, eager to see her destination. The sight of the town on the horizon excited her, and she could barely contain her impatience. At last, this was finally the day she'd been dreaming of: the day she finally arrived in the legendary city of Etria. She grinned broadly into the wind, letting the wind whip her long, red locks around her green-eyed face. Her complexion spoke of her lack of experience, as did her "armor", which consisted of her favorite leather jerkin, green cloth vest, and Treerat-hide leggings along with boots more suited for casual wear than hours upon hours of hiking and battle. Practicality was a skill she had yet to learn.

Not that she cared about _that_ now. This was a very big day!

"Sit down, will you?!" A firm, but gentle hand yanked her back into her seat. The girl didn't need to look to know who it was: a Gladiator from Amoroad who was seeking his fame here in Etria too. She knew he'd be giving her that defensive little glare he did when she'd lean out the window.

She smiled, knowing he meant well. She stood back up, leaning her head out the window again, more to tease the warrior than anything. "I'm not a kid, Ricardo. I'm not so stupid as to fall out of the carriage."

She heard him chuckling from his seat next to her. "Right_, _Kylie, just wait 'till we hit a rock. You'll be in the dirt in a heartbeat."

Kylie slid out of the window and back on the bench, turning to the fellow explorer with a mischievous smile. He was a slender, dark-skinned lad with black hair and small, brown eyes. His idea of proper armor made Kylie look like a Protector: he was shirtless and wearing a baggy set of orange, leather shorts. His dark blue bandana was perpetually tied around his head, securing his scruffy hair back. He was clearly somewhat more experienced than Kylie, and bore several scars, including one rather nasty-looking scar leading across his right shoulder and down to his left side.

"Yeah, yeah _dad._" She couldn't help but taunt him a bit, and the Gladiator chuckled at her.

"Watch it," He teased back, "keep that up and I'll have to get you back."

"Ha, like you got the guts to hit a lady!" Traveling with Ricardo had given the two warriors plenty of time to talk, and by now she now felt pretty comfortable with him. At first, Ricardo had heeded her as hyper and almost childish, and she'd thought of him as stuffy and uncaring. Two weeks of shooting the breeze and swapping stories had forged a bond between the two; they now regarded one another with a friendly, mutual respect.

"_You_ might be the first!" The foreign warrior lunged and grabbed Kylie in the crook of his powerful arm, rubbing his knuckles on her head and mussing her hair, "You've got a mouth, girl."

Kylie laughed and pulled out of his grip. "Sorry and you're welcome. You get to leave soon."

Ricardo's face lit up a bit, and he brushed his hair out of his eye. "Say, that reminds me of something."

"Hm?" Kylie cast him a quizzical look, "What's that?"

Ricardo shrugged. "Maybe you'd like to form a guild together. You're a Landsknecht, and I'm a Gladiator. Together, we'll be an unstoppable force!"

"Together, hm?"

"Hell, yeah!" Ricardo extended a hand to her, "Whaddya say?"

Kylie needed only a moment to think on it. Joining a fellow warrior sounded like a great idea to her. She took his hand, shaking it firmly. "Together, then."

Kylie finally stood at the entryway to the Explorer's Guild of Etria, anxious to begin her registration as an official explorer. She took a deep breath, checking her meager supplies one final time.

"Ready?" Ricardo asked her.

"Sure. Let's do it." With a nervously excited smile, Kylie strode into the open hall eagerly, a cheerfully eager gleam in her eyes and Ricardo quietly following behind her.

Striding confidently into the main hall, Kylie paused for a brief moment to take in her surroundings a bit. The room was simple and elegant, giving off an air of a formal office. Several groups of explorers were sitting about on benches, chatting away. Some looked her way, and some simply ignored her in favor of current company. Kylie guessed they must be new explorers too. Perhaps the man at the desk could help her? He seemed like an official of some sort. His scarred face, eye-patch, and tousled brown hair lent him a somewhat gruff air, and she tensed slightly as she approached.

She was greeted with a terse "What?" without even looking up from his paperwork.

The girl cleared her throat. "I'm here to register as an explorer."

"You and half the city," The man shoved a packet of papers her way, still barely bothering to pause for this, "Put your personal info here. Have your pals sign the other sheets. Settle on a group of no more than five for the initiation test."

"It's actually just us two right now." The Landsknecht's comment finally made the man look up at her. The expression on his face was one of disbelief, and perhaps exasperation.

"What's your names?"

"I'm Kylie," She answered, shifting her position uneasily, "and that's Ricardo. We're signing up together."

She did _not_like the glare the man was giving her all of a sudden. "Kylie. Ricardo." The man readjusted his eye-patch, giving Kylie and Ricardo both a piercing look, "The Radha's strict about this. No guild may contain less than five members."

"What the hell?" Ricardo scratched his head, "Back in Amoroad, anyone with the balls to do it could form a guild! This is ludicrous!" Ricardo reached down and started to pick up the papers. "We'll sign anyway!"

The official put a hand on the stack, shooting that cold glare at Ricardo. "Rules are different here, foreigner. I can't let you sign up if you don't have at least three more people in your group. It's for safety's sake, and your own." He swept a hand across the room. "Of course, there's another option. Go join a pre-existing guild. Head to the Golden Deer Pub in you need to find someone. Now, if that's all...?" When his last remark elicited nothing but flustered silence from the two, he returned to his papers.

"Ugh. Stubborn old bastard." Ricardo shook his head irritably.

"Let it go. Let's just try to find someone who'll take us." Kylie sighed as she made her way outside. As she made her way across the plaza, Kylie noticed three people chatting by the fountain. There was a pink-haired, blue-eyed teenager, wearing a huge, red bow in her shoulder-length hair and a sharp, white lab-coat, a blue-haired, green-eyed man decked out head-to-toe in heavy-looking plate armor, and a blond, pony-tailed, green-eyed man wearing forest green robes, and a strange device fastened to his left arm. All three explorers seemed to be having an discussion of some sort, and Kylie couldn't help overhearing them as she passed by.

"This is getting nowhere," Grumbled the armored Protector, "Nobody's accepting new members today either!"

"Don't give up, Mathias." This from the girl, who seemed to be a Medic, judging by the satchel emblazoned with a red plus on it she was holding.

"I'm sick of this. Let's just head to the Golden Deer and call it a day over a pint." The knight looked to the Alchemist. "You with me, Kyo? Marie?"

The boy didn't seem focused on the conversation. Instead, he had turned to look at Kylie and Ricardo. "Excuse me, you two?"

"Yeah?" Ricardo answered as Kylie paused along with him.

"Are you two explorers, by chance?"

"Yeah, but we aren't in a guild yet." Kylie replied.

"I assume you've heard our predicament. It's no doubt the same as yours. With the addition of you two, we will have enough people to form a guild."

"Who's this you found, Kyo?" The girl was now looking their way too, the turning to them as she spoke.

"They're our newest recruits," Kyo smiled calmly, "If they approve."

"Approve?" Ricardo pumped a fist into the air, "Hell yeah, I'm in! Kylie?"

Kylie nodded. These three seemed like okay people. "Sure. Everyone okay with us?"

The Medic nodded her agreement, and the knight spoke up. "Welcome aboard the Nidhogg crew, kids." His grin widened. "I was hoping we'd have another lady around. Marie's no fun to tease."

The Medic, Marie, shook her head apologetically, "Ignore Mathias. That monkey'll flirt with anyone of the female persuasion."

Mathias' grin widened. "See? What a prude." This earned an exasperated sigh out of Marie.

"Well, let's start with names, shall we?" Ricardo offered, "I'm Ricardo, and this saucy little vixen is Kylie."

"Saucy little vixen?" Kylie chuckled at his snark, knowing that he was just playing again, "You're pretty sassy yourself, Ricardo!"

"Ha!" Mathias laughed, "What a pair! Call me Mathias. The kid's Kyo, and that's Marie over there." He gestured to each in turn.

"...are we done now?" All heads turned to Kyo, who had folded his arms in impatience, "I think it's time we make this official."

Kylie nodded. "Well, okay then. I suppose we can chat later, huh."

"Whatever suits ya." Kyo was already walking across the plaza back to the Explorer's Guild. "C'mon already."

"Not much for patience, huh?" Ricardo scratched his head.

"Nope," Marie sighed, "Not at all."

"Hm. Back again?" The Guildmaster's tone had not improved. "I told you, you need two more people."

"We _have_ two more people." Kyo held out his hand. "Papers?" Without another word, the man slapped a packet into Kyo's extended hand, still writing away. Kyo handed a sheet to everyone in turn, Kylie taking the second to last paper in the stack. She grabbed a quill from the desk and started filling out the fields.There was one field that she paused at: the one labeled "Guild Leader?". Next to the question, there were two check-boxes, "Yes" and "No".

Kylie was just about to speak up when Mathias piped up, "Hey, we never decided who's the leader."

Ricardo waved his quill in the air. "I vote me. Who better a leader than a badass Gladiator like myself?"

Kyo groaned, rolling his eyes. "Oh, please. You're too bullish. You'd walk us off a cliff."

This earned a shocked stare out of Ricardo, who clearly wasn't expecting Kyo to be so harsh. "I suppose _you_ want to be leader then?" Ricardo's expression soured as he glared at his rival.

Kyo shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm much too cerebral to waste precious time with that pointless political Kuyutha shit."

"You arrogant little brat." Ricardo grumbled back.

"Impulsive baboon." Kyo said flatly, eying the Gladiator for a reaction.

He got one. Ricardo was clearly getting steamed at Kyo's jabs, and he shot a furious glare at the smirking Alchemist. "Dumb-ass punk!"

Kylie looked at Mathias and Marie. Both of them had apparently finished their forms, and were glancing back at one another uncomfortably. Kylie made a command decision. Without saying a word, she checked the "Yes" box on her form, handing it to the Guildmaster as Ricardo and Kyo continued to hurl insults at one another heatedly.

"So," The Guildmaster's voice cut loudly through the bickering, making the two combatants turn towards him, "It is officially done. The Nidhogg Guild is hereby formed, under the command of Kylie Redstone."

"Wha?!" Ricardo sputtered, "That's not fair!" He shot the Landsknecht a look.

"She's the only one of you who checked 'Yes', so she's the leader by default. Unless you object?"

Kylie smiled sheepishly, noticing that everyone in the group was staring at her. "Er...I didn't mean to step on any toes. It just looked like you guys needed to decide. I hope this is okay?" Kylie looked between her allies, searching for any sign of malcontent.

"I like that take-command attitude, girl." Mathias slapped her on the back and made her stumble. "'Sides, I get to watch that sexy ass of yours when you're the lead." His hand slid down her back and squeezed her butt. Kylie snagged his wrist as harshly as a hawk snatching a mouse.

Kylie shot the Protector a ferocious look. "You better watch yourself! I'm not some trophy to be ogled, got that!?"

He yanked his hand back, scowling at her. "It's a compli-"

"Don't get too wound up, youngsters." The Guildmaster's sudden commentary silenced Mathias' words, "You kids still need to visit the Radha Hall to get your first mission. Remember, the first duty you explorers have is to the Radha. Now get going." He swept a hand at them, shooing them out of the room, "You lot are holding up the line."

As Kylie left the hall, keeping her distance from Mathias, her mind was abuzz with possibility. What could the Radha want with the guilds? She pondered this quietly, following the cobblestone streets. Nobody said much as they walked along, though Kyo and Ricardo were still glaring at one another. She made use of several signs, and soon came to a large, ornate building near the town center. Above the doors, a plaque read "Radha Hall". Just as she reached for the door, she heard a loud screech coming from the direction of the Labyrinth. Kylie froze up, moving only enough to turn her head to the sound.

"What was that?" She asked. Her question was answered when a huge deer came rushing through the street. Its blue and white hide was stained with blood oozing from multiple stab wounds, and its golden mane flowed in the wind as it galloped wildly about.

Kyo's eyes went wide and he backed into Mathias. "T-t-that's a Furyhorn! What the hell's a FOE doing in town!?"

"FOE?" Ricardo seemed puzzled, "What's that?"

"_Formido Oppugnatura Exsquens_. They're insanely powerful beasts that wander the Labyrinth."

"We gotta do something about it! People are going to get killed if we don't!" Mathias shoved his way past Kyo and charged the beast, drawing his sword as he ran.

"Mathias, don't do that you idiot!" Marie called, "It's too dangerous!" If he heard her, he ignored her plea.

"It's wounded. We can kill it!"

Kylie shook her head. That fool was going to get _himself_killed! "Come on!" Drawing her short sword, she rushed into the fray, finding Mathias with his blade already buried in the animal's side. The deer slammed its massive antlers into him, throwing Mathias to the dirt.

"Mathias!" Marie rushed to the Protector's side, "Are you alright!?"

"I'm...fine." Mathias got to his feet with the Medic's help. "Just a scratch."

"You lost your sword!" Marie drew out her mace with a resigned sigh. "It looks like I must fight now..."

"Huh?!" Mathias only just now seemed to realize his weapon was still lodged in the animal's side. "Dammit, that's no good!"

"Stand back!" Kylie saw Kyo raise his left hand, which was now glowing at the center of the device, "I'll fry this thing! Fire!" A fireball launched out of the device, landing a painful-looking hit on the deer. It flinched at the blow, and Kylie took the opportunity to strike. She rushed headlong at the animal, bringing her blade down on the beast's head and landing a blow right between the antlers. It shrieked and threw its head, knocking Kylie away with its rack. Kylie gritted her teeth in pain. The Furyhorn's horns had sliced into her side when it rammed her. As she clutched the wound, she saw Ricardo strafe around the side of the animal.

"Yeeagh!" Ricardo slammed into the red-eyed beast from behind, dealing a wicked blow with his club to its back. It was knocked to the ground, but it regained its footing quickly.

"Kylie!" She noticed Marie scramble over to her, already digging around in her satchel. Before she could react, the deer threw its head and let out a terrible screech. Instantly, Kylie's head ached and her vision swam. She braced herself on her knees and tried to steady her balance. A sudden blow from behind caught her off guard, and she fell to all fours. She looked behind her and was puzzled to see Mathias flailing his arms wildly, almost as if punching at an invisible enemy. He must have hit her in his confusion.

As she tried to regain her own bearings, she saw the Furyhorn rear up, pawing the air with ebony hooves. Then, it spun around, slamming Kylie with a double-barreled kick that sent her flying across the street and into the wall of the Radha Hall. She was vaguely aware of Marie rushing to her side and shouting her name before her world went black.

Kylie opened her eyes, groaning. "What happened?" Her head was spinning and she felt weak.

"Good." Kylie turned her head and saw Marie kneeling by her side holding a jar, "You've come to. I was hoping that Nectar would work."

"Ugh." Kylie sat up, wincing at the gash to her side. Then, she suddenly remembered what happened. There was a monster in town! Kylie shot to her feet, drawing her sword again. "The enemy!"

"It's over, Kylie." Marie put a hand on her shoulder. "Soon after you got hurt, we finished the Furyhorn." Sure enough, as she looked about, she saw the beast's fallen body sprawled across the street, blood pooling from a deep wound on its throat.

She sighed in relief, lowering her sword. "Then, we won...?"

"Somehow, yeah." Ricardo came across the street. His torso was covered in scrapes and bruises, but he seemed otherwise unharmed. Kyo had a cut across his left cheek, and Mathias' breastplate looked dented where the deer had jabbed him. Overall, nobody seemed too hurt. "Are you okay, Kylie?" Ricardo asked,"You're in pretty bad shape..."

Kylie turned to him, sheathing her sword. "I'm okay, but my side kinda hurts..."

"Hold still, please." Kylie looked over a shoulder at Marie, who was now carrying some medicine and bandages. "I think I can treat you." Before Kylie could protest, Marie was already fumbling with the buckles of her jerkin. Kylie let the Medic try her hand, since she clearly meant well.

As she consented to the bandaging, she noticed a man rush out of the Radha Hall, his armored robe jangling. The red-haired man was wielding a rapier and looking about frantically. "What happened here?!"

"It's a FOE." Kyo gestured to the Furyhorn's carcass, "Well, it _was_a FOE. We finished it."

"You did what now?" The man stared at them, peering over his glasses at the scene. Kylie couldn't blame him for being surprised. She considered herself lucky to be still alive after that thing's rampage. At least it was wounded when it came by. If it were at full-strength, they never would've survived...

"You killed a FOE? Impressive!" The man sheathed his sword, a smile spreading across his face. "This is a surprising turn of events!"

"I'll say!" Kyo rubbed his injured cheek, "I thought FOEs live deeper in Yggdrasil?!"

"They normally _do_." The man gestured into the Hall. "Do come in. There's a lot to explain."

That was too true. Looking back at the deer one more time, Kylie was struck with a sudden thought. Something drove it here from Yggdrasil: something awful enough to force it to run.

But what could be worse than a bloodthirsty deer?

******Name:**Kylie Redstone

**Age:**23

**Class:** Landsknecht

**Hometown:**Sheba

**Quote:** "It's only impossible if you _think_it is."

**Bio: **A sassy and clever Landsknecht from a far off town who came to Etria recently. Kylie is usually quite cheerful, but this cheeky warrior is not afraid to speak her mind when the opportunity presents itself. She used to belong to a fishing fleet until the day the fleet was decimated by a swarm of Nautilus while out at sea. Her ship was heavily damaged, and she wound up drifting for a week. Luckily, a band of adventurers from Amoroad found her and brought her back to Sheba. While traveling with the warriors, she learned about their exploits and misadventures in the Labyrinth beneath Amoroad. Those stories sparked her interest in adventure, and Kylie soon left on her own journey. Unluckily, the currents shifted soon after, cutting off the route to Amoroad. When she hired a ride from Sheba to Etria, she met Ricardo. The two became fast friends, bonding quickly on the long trip from the ocean city.

_Well there it is! Chapter 1, in the bag. I know, the party seems a little underdeveloped. I plan to bring out more of their personalities and histories in the next chapter. Kylie's is level-headed but sassy, Ricardo is a playful scamp with a reckless streak, Kyo is very intelligent, but kind of a prick. Mathias is a relaxed, somewhat foolish womanizer, and Marie is quiet, but surprisingly childish. There's going to be a short dossier on each party member at the end of each chapter. Count on seeing Chapter 2 soon!_


	2. Deepening Enigmas

_**Chapter 2: Deepening Enigmas**_

As he and the rest of his companions entered, Ricardo came to realize he felt decidedly out of place here in the Radha Hall. The intricately sculpted stone surrounding him and elaborate, gold-leaf decorations on the walls left the place feeling like a king's throne. He supposed it wasn't far from the truth. If what he knew about Etria was correct, this _was_ the Etrian rulers' seat of power after all.

The bespectacled man who lead them here spoke up. "So, let's begin with formalities shall we?" He bowed slightly, "I am Subaltern Quinn, junior-executor of the Radha. May I have your names and guild title, sirs and ladies?"

Ricardo nodded politely, gesturing to each of his comrades. "Of course. We're the Nidhogg guild. I'm Ricardo. This is Kylie, our leader. Over there is Mathias, Kyo, and..." Ricardo paused mid-spiel. Marie was nowhere to be seen. "Uh...where'd Marie go?"

Kyo shook his head, throwing up his hands in a devil-may-care shrug. "How should I know? I'm not her babysitter."

Ricardo eyed the kid irritably. Kyo sure had an abrasive outlook towards his ally, and it irked him. "I was only asking! You should be more concerned after what just happened!"

"Coming! Sorry I'm late!" Ricardo looked behind him and saw Marie running into the hall, her eyes wide. "I found something!" Ricardo's jaw dropped as he realized that she was carrying a huge, green stone, easily the size of his head!

"Whoa, Marie!" Mathias had a huge grin on his face at the sight of the giant gem. "Sweet loot! Where'd you find that?"

"This isn't something to celebrate!" Marie held out the stone worriedly, running right past the ignoramus Protector as he stared in bewildered confusion, "Look carefully."

Ricardo took the stone in his hands. It was surprisingly light for its size, and it glowed slightly where his hands touched it. As he examined it, he thought he saw something gleam within the gem. His curiosity was piqued, and Ricardo peered closer. As he stared deep into the jewel, he saw the figure of a horned animal forming in its depths, slowly becoming clearer as he watched. The maned form pranced and reared, emitting a proud scream in silence. Ricardo's eyes widened as he recognized the beast. The dim figure of a Furyhorn was inside the gem! It was the same FOE they faced earlier! Shouting in shock, he nearly dropped the jewel on the floor and stumbled over his own feet.

"D-d-did you see _that_!?" Ricardo blared, hoisting the jewel up with one hand and pointing at the thing within, "Somebody tell me I'm seeing things...!"

Kyo suddenly snatched the stone out of Ricardo's hand. "Fascinating!" For the first time since he met him, Kyo seemed truly pleased, though Ricardo wasn't sure what he could be so happy about. "This is a magnificent discovery!" Kyo looked up from the gemstone, his green eyes wide with excitement.

"Do you know what that is?!" Kylie said, leaning in over Kyo's shoulder anxiously, "Tell us! Tell us why there's a Furyhorn in that jewel!"

"Settle down." Kyo shoved her back with one hand. "I don't know any more than you do." He turned to Marie, who had started wringing her hands worriedly ever since she handed over the stone. "Where exactly did you find that?"

"I'm curious about this stone as well." Quinn walked up to Marie, a serious look on his face. The Subaltern drew out a quill and a scroll from his robe and immediately begun writing away. "Please, spare no detail. Tell me everything that you can."

"Well, I don't have much to say." Marie wrinkled her brow. "All I really know is that when I turned back to the body, I saw this thing laying in a pool of blood. I admit, I was pretty confused, because the carcass was absent. When I touched it and I saw _that_ in there, I knew it had to be important somehow. I wish I had more to tell you..."

"Are you saying the body disappeared?" Quinn peered over his spectacles, "Just like that?"

"I guess? This was right where the FOE fell we slew it. The rest of it was gone..."

"Tell me exactly what led up to that."

Ricardo helped Marie recap the earlier fight to Quinn, with comments from the others on occasion. When they were finished retelling the tale, Quinn was staring in disbelief. "Is that all?"

"Crazy, I know." Kyo scratched his head. "There shouldn't be any way the FOEs could make it that far up the Labyrinth. Not without catching hell from the guards, anyway. What the hell were those layabouts doing anyway?!"

"I'm sure they did their best," Quinn answered, "I know you're upset, but you need to calm down. There's no point in panicking about it, especially if-."

"Who's panicking?! I'm pissed, and you should be too!" Kyo's anger flared, and the Alchemist folded his arms in ire, "This is ridiculous. Furyhorns never come above the second floor. I want to know what bastard's responsible for this madness!"

"Cool it, Kyo!" Kylie cut him off, earning a glare from him. "I'm concerned too. I saw most of what happened back there too. Acting like that isn't helping anything!"

Kyo shook his head. "Of all people, I thought _you'd_ be the most worried. You're the one who died back there!"

"You think I don't..." Kylie froze mid-sentence, her expression becoming one of shock. "Wait a second! I died?"

Ricardo nodded grimly. He remembered it all too well, unlike poor Kylie. "Yeah. Good thing Marie had that Nectar." Her expression was frozen in a daze. Ricardo guessed she had no idea she was in that state.

"Don't ignore me!" Kyo stamped a foot, "It could've been much worse if we hadn't-!"

"We can't afford to lose our heads over this, so leave it!" Kylie cut him off, casting a stern gaze about the room. She only continued when nobody responded, "Let's think of the bright side. We killed the Furyhorn, right? It can't hurt anyone else."

Quinn rolled the scroll up and tucked it away. "This isn't the first time a monster got into Etria. I can't dismiss this gemstone though. This is extremely unusual. The nature of the jewel seems quite ominous if you ask me." Quinn extended a hand, "May I ask that this...artifact be kept here at Radha Hall so that we may further analyze its purpose?"

Kylie grabbed the jewel from Kyo, handing it over to Quinn. "I don't see why not. I don't have any idea what the blazes that purpose could be though."

"It can't be a peaceful thing, I'm sure." Mathias said, "I bet it can catch FOEs or something. It's too creepy to be natural."

"I agree." Quinn drew out a different scroll. "Let's make this your first mission from us." He looked up from the scroll with a frown. "Hm. I see that Nidhogg isn't on the guild roster."

"What's that mean?" Mathias asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"It probably means that your guild has not finished its initiation test." Quinn shook his head. "Until you do so, I'm afraid I cannot authorize your investigation."

Ricardo was slightly irked. Surely slaying a FOE, even a wounded one, was adequate! "Why do we need to be tested? We just killed a FOE! That proves we're good enough, right?!"

"A true explorer's merit is not merely combat-related. A blade alone cannot solve the Labyrinth's mysteries." Quinn rolled his scroll up, tucking it away again. "Nidhogg. Will you accept the initiation now, or will you wait until later? I can see that you did not win without paying a price in blood."

Ricardo noticed Kylie leaning up against the wall, bracing herself with one arm. She seemed completely exhausted from the fight. "I'm pretty tired today," She commented, "Maybe we should do this in the morning."

"I agree." Mathias frowned down at his dented armor. "I need to buy something tougher than this if I want to do my job correctly."

"Might I suggest the Rooster Inn for the night?" Quinn offered, "It caters to all adventurers, including novices."

"That sounds good." Ricardo nodded. "We'll be on our way then."

"Very well. Please do come back. I eagerly await your return." Quinn bowed subtly once again as Ricardo and company left the Radha Hall.

None of the quintet of explorers noticed the man perched on top of the Radha Hall, watching their movements. His dark garb and face-scarf marked him as someone most comfortable in the darkness. His gaze was fixed on the group of greenhorns below.

"They found the Source..." He brushed his black hair aside as he scrutinized them with ruby, hawk-like eyes. "This calls for immediate_action_." Drawing his black cloak around him, the shinobi bounded silently back across the rooftops, vanishing into the evening skyline like a shadow.

* * *

After they followed several signs, Ricardo finally found a building with a sign depicting a crowing cockerel on it. "This must be the place." Ricardo opened the door and walked inside, his friends following close behind. As he entered the modest inn, he saw the Guildmaster talking with a brown-haired man in simple green robes behind the counter: the innkeeper, he guessed.

"You're sure she didn't come here, Noah?"

The small-eyed man nodded. "I'm certain, Mark. There aren't too many female Landsknechts in Etria. I'd know if I saw her."

Mark sighed. "Damnation! It shouldn't be so hard to find one woman around here, especially a greenhorn like her."

Ricardo cast a look back at everyone, who was exchanging looks between one another. "Do you think he means you, Kylie?"

"One way to find out." She walked across the lobby towards Mark. "I overheard your conversation. You were looking for a rookie Landsknecht? Would it be me by chance?"

"There you lot are!" He turned towards everyone, a kindly smile on his face. Mark's enthusiasm surprised Ricardo, especially given his earlier reserved demeanor. "I've been turning the city upside-down looking for Nidhogg."

"That would be us..." Kylie was obviously just as bewildered as Ricardo was by Mark's shift in attitude towards them.

"Heh, good. I hoped I could catch up before you decided to head off into the Labyrinth."

"So _now_ you want be buddies?" Kyo's words cut through the cheerful mood like a knife. "Stuff it, old man. You treated us like something you stepped in."

"Don't get huffy, kid. It ain't personal." Mark's attitude did not change in spite of the acerbic comment from Kyo, "I just don't like to get attached to fledglings. A lot of them don't even make it past their initiation after all." Ignoring the still scowling Alchemist, he continued. "I heard you lot killed a Furyhorn just now!" Mark looked between them, his smile broadening once again. "Not bad, kids, not bad at all."

Mathias grinned proudly, "That's right! We're _that_ strong! Nothing can stop Nidhogg!"

Kyo sighed. "Well, it _was_ wounded. I doubt we would've survived if it were healthy."

Mark nodded. "Hm. You kids aren't lacking in guts, that's for sure. That's why I was looking for you. I need a bold guild like yourselves."

"We aren't initiated," Ricardo said dejectedly, "The Radha won't-"

"I know," Mark cut him off. "I know! Just listen for a second. Did you see a Ninja, a Dark Hunter, a Buccaneer, and a Troubadour anywhere?"

Ricardo thought back to the many people he saw throughout Etria. He wasn't paying much attention to the townsfolk, but he didn't particularly think he saw a group like that. "I don't think so. I wasn't really looking out. Subaltern Quinn called us right after the fight, so that's where we were."

Mark sighed, seeming a bit downcast. "That Hraesvelgr...what a bunch of idiots!"

"Huh?" Kylie asked, "Is Hraesvelgr another guild?"

"They _were_." Mark answered, "I temporarily revoked their licenses when they lost two of their members, bringing their roster down to four. They were hellbent on revenge, and they kept on trying to sneak into the Labyrinth anyway. There's been no sign of them today, though. I doubt Hraesvelgr would've just given up. I believe they finally got past the guards when they were busy with that Furyhorn."

"Why us?" Asked Kyo, "Go find someone who's licensed."

"I tried. No one is interested in taking the job." Mark sighed, lowering his head. "Damn kids. They'll wind up dead for sure..."

Ricardo thought for a moment. If he were the one who was lost, he'd certainly hope someone would try to help him. "I think we should do it."

Kyo sighed, "Only an idiot would explore at night. I'm not going anywhere."

Marie shook her head. "Kylie's in no shape to go, Ricardo. She need to rest. Revival can leave people weak, you know."

Kylie smiled at Marie. "You're a sweetheart. I'm okay, really, I'm just a bit tired. If Hraesvelgr is in danger, I think I can manage an outing."

"Boss, Kyo's got a point," Mathias piped up, "They say stronger critters pop out at night. I don't wanna wind up beastie-chow!"

Ricardo chuckled at the Protector. Though he was clearly the oldest among the Nidhogg crew, the man sure had a childlike streak. "Nobody said it had to be tonight, right? Let's rest up and head out first thing in the morning."

"I agree." Kylie said sleepily.

"Then it's settled. I'll pay for your rooms tonight. It's the least I can do after earlier." Mark sat a small bag on the counter in front of Noah, counting out several coins from the sack.

"Are you sure?" Marie asked, pulling a change purse out of her satchel, "I made sure to save enough Ental for one night's stay."

"Of course I am! Consider it a housewarming gift from old Mark." He patted the Medic on the shoulder, making the girl jump. "Who knows? Maybe I'll see you lot again." His parting words hung uncomfortably in the air as the Guildmaster departed the inn, leaving the five uneasy initiates behind.

* * *

Ricardo sat on his bed across from the mirror mounted on the wall, clad in nothing but his underwear. It had been a long time since he'd been alone, even for a short while. He examined the man staring at him from the other side of the glass. Already, the boyish face he'd once been so accustomed to was starting to be replaced by a rougher, swarthier mug, courtesy of two months of travel. He rubbed a hand along his cheek, the short beard reminding him how long it had been since he'd seen a razor. Ricardo made a mental note to wake up early enough to get rid of his face-fur.

As he stared at his doppelganger, he found himself averting his gaze. The scars across his face and body reminded him again of how he came here. Ricardo closed his eyes and ran a finger across the huge mark leading from his shoulder down to his waist: the wound that nearly killed him six months ago. He wanted so much to forget how he acquired that wound. Even though the famous ocean town was much closer to Ayutthaya, convenience didn't matter. Distance _did_. That was why he was here in Etria, not Amoroad: to leave his past behind him in the waves.

Ricardo found himself thinking back to the pirate attack. It was quick, but absolute. The Blacksabre Pirates had struck, and conquered Ayutthaya all at once, seizing control the town in just one day. It wasn't as if they weren't ready for things like that, but when seven-dozen sea-faring thieves descended from their ships, the city's defenses were overwhelmed. At the time, he knew nothing outside of shop-work. He was born and raised as the heir to a sundry shop, and that day was not unlike any other until then. When Blacksabre descended upon the shop, Ricardo had not stood down. Instead, he'd fought against the brigands alone, fending off several of them with little more than his fists. He nearly lost his life when one bandit drew his rapier at him and cut him down.

He would have died, just as his parents did that day, if it weren't for _him_.

That enigmatic Monk...The stranger who'd smuggled him out of town and healed his injury... Ricardo looked down at the bracelet in his hand. It had become a habit of his to hold it at times like this. The gold filigree and sapphire object looked more like something that belonged on the wrist of a noble, not in his unsophisticated possession. This was all he had of the man who took him away from Ayutthaya: the Monk to whom he owed his life. He often wondered why he'd left this with him. Even stranger was what the stranger had said when he gave Ricardo that bracelet: "I leave the fate of Ni'vu with you. Rest assured, this is not our last farewell. We shallmeet again one day." Yet, he never did see that man again. That was five months, and one bitter memory ago. He absently fastened the bangle around his wrist. Just as it had done so many times before, the jewelry unclasped itself and fell off into his lap. It was almost as if the elegant decoration refused to be worn by someone like him, as if he were somehow unworthy of donning it. Sighing to nobody but himself, the Gladiator fell back on his bed, holding the bracelet before him.

As he stared at the familiar adornment, the large sapphire in the center suddenly turned a blood-red color, pulsing slowly. Ricardo's eyes went wide. He never saw _that _happen before. That was when he saw an image form on its surface. It clearly showed his room. It was nighttime, just like it was now, and most of the scene was too dark to make out clearly. In the image of the room, a black-caped figure stood ominously. He, or perhaps she, stood with their back to his view, holding a blade at their side. The slender dagger was dripping with blood, and some sort of black fluid. What made his breath freeze in his throat was what he saw at the figure's feet. A man lay on the floor, partly obscured by the slayer's position. Though the man laid with his back to his vantage, Ricardo recognized the victim.

It was himself!

Ricardo shouted, tossing the bracelet into the air and shooting to his feet in a start. It landed on the floor with a clatter, the ruby glow subsiding in an instant to its usual sapphire color. He stared at the once comforting relic, wide-eyed and shock-still. As he tried to collect his thoughts, his door flew open, startling him. Ricardo snatched his club from his bedside and ran forth in a wild panic. He raised his weapon, ready to strike at the enemy.

"What the hell are you doing, psycho?!" A nightshirt-clad Kyo lunged up and grabbed the shaft of his weapon, halting his swing. Ricardo was embarrassed at himself. He'd allowed his confusion to get the better of him...

He sighed in relief and let go of his weapon, allowing an irate Kyo to throw it to the bed. "S-s-sorry..." He sputtered apologetically.

"Sorry? You almost bashed my head in and you say you're _sorry_!?" Kyo scolded him, "You woke me up, you damn banshee, and then you almost killed me! Idiot!"

Ricardo wasn't sure how to respond to that. He was pretty sheepish with himself right now. "Um...nightmare?" He fibbed, hoping to redirect the angry Alchemist's wrath.

Kyo snorted. If looks could kill, the kid's emerald eyes would have been daggers. "Kuyutha shit."

Ricardo bit his lip. "Okay, okay. You got me...just promise you won't think I'm crazy."

"Too late." Kyo folded his arms, "Just talk."

Ricardo stared at his feet uncomfortably. "I...I guess I saw something. A vision? Hallucination? I dunno..."

Kyo's expression softened, if only slightly. "What were you doing when you 'saw something'?"

Ricardo reluctantly explained that he was just looking at the bracelet. He crouched down and picked it up from where it landed. He made to stand back up when Kyo put a hand on his back. Ricardo looked up at him, and found Kyo with a suddenly panic-stricken look on his face. Ricardo followed his stare, and found a man wearing a midnight-black cloak standing behind him.

It was the man from the vision!

He silently drew a blade from his hip, a strange, black liquid dripping along the dagger's edge. Ricardo froze in place, his eyes widened in terror. If that earlier vision was true, this man was going to kill him! He was determined not to fall like that. He sprang up from the floor, lunging for his club. He dove onto the bed, hearing the rip of fabric when the man's weapon sliced into the mattress.

"Who the hell are you?!" Ricardo roared at his adversary.

The man's response was like a silk whisper, and his expressionless face gave away no emotion. "Soon, you will not need to know that."

* * *

**Name: **Ricardo Vaynn

**Age: **22

**Class: **Gladiator

**Hometown: **Ayutthaya

**Quote:** "Leave it to me!"

**Bio: **A Gladiator who traveled with Kylie for some time before joining her in a guild. Unabashedly honest and mischievous, Ricardo is an eternal kid who can't resist the chance to pull a prank. He takes great pride in his battle-prowess, but his impulsiveness tends lead him to get in trouble easily. This was no truer than the day a band of rouge pirates attacked Ayutthaya, temporarily seizing the city. Heedless to the obvious dangers, he stood up to the bandits, boldly fending off several of the intruders. He wound up defeated in the end, earning the nearly fatal wound that is now his trademark torso-scar. He would not have survived the incident had a passing Monk not taken pity on him and sneaked him out of town. Shortly afterward, he and the Monk left for Sheba. The man vanished at the port, leaving Ricardo with a lot of questions. Though Ricardo tried to find the mysterious Monk many times, his efforts were in vain, as he never even revealed his name to him. Ricardo learned later that his parents had both been killed in the attack on Ayutthaya, leaving him with no reason to return to his hometown. He turned his focus to the Labyrinths, hoping to become wealthy in his exploits. He chose to head as far away from Ayutthaya as he could to distance himself from his past. This was how he first met Kylie, on board a vessel headed for the city of Etria.

* * *

_That's that for Chapter 2. Haha, I'm on fire here! I feel much happier about this chapter than the last one. I originally planned for this to be two chapters, but I decided to merge them. In the future, each chapter will be mostly one or two peoples' perspectives. I hope this will help give some insight to the characters' thoughts and responses. See ya in Chapter 3!_


	3. Incursions

_**Chapter 3: Incursions**_

Marie sat up again for the third time that night, unable to get to sleep. There was no way she could sleep with her mind so busy. Finally, tomorrow was it: _the_ day she'd been looking forward to. And the best part was that she was going with Kyo, her best friend in the world. Grinning at the thought, she grabbed a jawbreaker out of her satchel. The two had known one another since they were both kids. She couldn't ask for a more trustworthy partner in the Labyrinth. Sure, he could be kind of snappish and prickly, but she knew him for more than that. He had a wonderful sense of justice and loyalty that she found endearing. Popping the candy into her mouth, Marie smiled, leaned against the wall and straightened out her nightgown. What was the point of worrying, anyway? Nobody would die, not so long as she could see to it!

Loud clattering and shouting from the room next door made her jump and and nearly choke on the candy. Marie glared at the wall. Who would be making such a racket at _this_ hour?! She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and walked to the door. Just as she reached for the handle, the door slammed into her face, hitting her square on the nose.

"Yeowch!" Marie cried, rubbing her face and looking up.

"Oops," A surprised Kyo was standing in the doorway, "Sorry Marie. I didn't think you'd still be up."

"Owww..." Marie shook her head, surprised that she didn't have a nosebleed. "What's all the noise about?"

Marie tried to walk past him, but Kyo stretched his arms out and blocked her way. She saw a frightened look on his face, and Marie was immediately concerned. "Get your mace, Marie! It's an emergency!"

"What's going on, Kyo?" She knotted her brow in worry, "You're so noisy..."

"Don't ask stupid questions! Just do something!" Marie retrieved her satchel and mace and pushed past Kyo, peering into the hallway and ignoring his protests. She saw a half-naked Ricardo rush out of his room, his club slung across his shoulder. He spun around, shouting curses into his room and waving his club at something inside.

"What the?" Marie blurted, dashing into the hall and making Kyo stumble, "Ricardo?! What in the blazes-?" Now that she was closer to him, she could see that he seemed scared.

He turned to her briefly before returning his glare to the room. "Marie! Go get help! He's trying to kill me!"

Marie only had the time to open her mouth before a shadowy blur rushed by, flashing a glint of silver. It shot off down the hallway, but not before slashing Ricardo in the leg. He spat out another curse and stumbled, clutching his left thigh. Marie spun around, clutching the mace in both hands. The dim hallway lights illuminated the silhouette of a man with a black cloak, baring a dagger at her. She barely saw him fling his weapon at her, simultaneously drawing a new knife with the opposing hand. Marie screamed and fell back on her butt in an attempt to back-step away. The kunai flew overhead and lodged itself in the ceiling. Had she not fallen, it would have hit her in the face easily. Her eyes went wide and she screamed again. He really _was_ going to kill her! She crabbed backwards, bumping into Ricardo in terror. Ricardo extended his hand to her, and she stood with his help.

"Tch, missed," The ninja growled in a low voice, "I'll have to do this the hard way." Marie shrieked a third time when an arm suddenly lunged from behind and grabbed her around the shoulders, forcing her to drop her weapon and her bag. Her confusion intensified to panic when a silver dagger pressed up to her throat. "Stop your incessant screeching, hellcat," The assassin snarled, "or my _shadow'll_ silence you!"

"Shit!" She heard Ricardo shout, "Two of them?!"

"Damn you!" Marie saw Kyo furiously raise his left hand at the bandit, in spite of having left his alchemist's gauntlet behind, "Let go of Marie you bastard!"

The man's response was glacial, and he stared ahead at Kyo coolly. "If you don't do exactly as I say..." His double pressed the knife up against her throat, its razor edge nicking her slightly, "The girl dies." By now, she could see that all this commotion had attracted the attention of other guests at the inn. Various people were peeking out of their rooms. Some retreated in fright as soon as they spotted the frightful scene. Several fellow explorers bared their weapons at the danger. All others were frozen in indecision, faces agape in shock.

"Bring me the leader of your guild. You have two minutes. Fail to return..." Marie could swear that the man's eyes were smiling. "and you'll never see her again."

Marie was shocked to hear Ricardo's response, "Fine. I'll go and wake her up..." He warily disappeared ahead into Kylie's room, never taking his eyes off the murderer as he backed into the room. Her eyes went wide and she swallowed hard in disbelief. Did he actually believe this madman?! What was to stop him from just killing her anyway? As she stared ahead at the shinobi, Marie noticed something odd. She saw a figure slipping down the hallway, his or her sword bared. Someone was hiding along the wall, clearly attempting an ambush on the assassin.

Marie started to tremble in sheer panic. She watched helplessly as the figure stalked up from behind the ninja, silently urging the newcomer not to do it. If that ninja noticed, she was a goner! Without warning, the person leaped on the ninja's back, shouting loudly as they brought their sword down on him and only just missed. The shinobi was clearly startled by the near-miss, and he whirled around frantically, trying to shake this cling-on. As the two swirled clumsily around the hallway, Marie could finally see who it was.

It was Mathias, and he was stark naked!

The nude warrior was clinging to the ninja with his legs, flailing his sword and shouting as he tried to attack from his perch. Luckily, Mathias' brazen charge caused the ninja to lose his shadow-clone, finally freeing Marie. She collapsed to her knees, dropping her mace. She put a hand to the cut on her neck. It was a shallow injury, nothing worse than a paper cut. She stared down at the floor, shivering in fear.

As she tried to regain her wits, she noticed Kyo come and hold out her mace to her. "C'mon Marie! Let's hold him off 'till the guards come! I can't use my fire fomulae in here and my staff's back in the room..." Marie took a deep breath and nodded once. Taking her weapon back from Kyo, she stood up and struggled to steady herself. This was no time to get so worked up. If she couldn't act, Mathias might get killed!

That was not an option.

If there was one thing she learned from her internship with Dr. Hoffman, it was to never let nerves detract from the task at hand. Now was no different. Marie drew back her mace and lunged for an attack. She tried to aim low and knock the shinobi off his feet. She landed a direct hit, though she struck him in the waist instead of his legs by mistake. She ran past him, spinning around for another hit. She heard several other footsteps in the hallway, and Ricardo suddenly charged from behind her, waving his club and shouting again. Kylie, wearing a long nightshirt, was close behind him, her sword bared. Ricardo was favoring his injured leg, and Kylie quickly overtook his halting pace. She swiped at the renegade. He took a direct hit, and spat out a growl of rage.

"Damn children! Time to end this game!" The furious ninja suddenly drew out another dagger covered in that odd liquid. "Now, die!" He swiped behind him, landing a furious stab to Mathias' right shoulder. He spat out an angry curse, countering with a slash to the ninja's right leg. Both combatants finally fell to the floor, and Marie took the chance to yank Mathias aside. He looked up at her, clutching his shoulder and breathing hard. Marie paused, puzzling it out. Something wasn't right here. The wound wasn't in a critical place. An injury like that shouldn't be this crippling. It was then that the realization hit her: those blades he's using must be poisoned!

"Leave me," Mathias hissed through his teeth, "Take care of that bastard!"

"Stop that," Marie grabbed her satchel from where she dropped it, "I...I can do this..." She started to search her bag for a Theriaca B to treat his condition. A bizarre hissing sound caught her attention, and Marie looked back up. The man was holding a small, round object, which was spewing smoke. He threw it to the floor, causing the smoke bomb to erupt in an instant cloud of opaque fog. Marie's vision was quickly obscured by thick vapor, and she could barely see anything.

"Fucking hell!" She heard Ricardo spit furiously. Rushed footsteps around her told her that others must be trying to get through the smoke. Marie looked about, desperate to see where that insane assassin went. As it begun to dissipate, she turned her attention back to Mathias, quickly treating his wound with the medicine.

"Everyone alright?!" Marie heard Kylie's voice from nearby. Marie looked up from her treatment to see Kylie standing protectively in front of her, her sword still at the ready.

"Sort of..." Ricardo hoisted his club over a shoulder, "We're missing Kyo."

Marie's eyes went wide again, and she frantically scanned the hall. There was no sign of her dear friend anywhere. "Kyo! Where is he?!"

"Find him!" Kylie ordered at Ricardo, "Go get help while you're at it!" She shot an uncomfortable glance in Mathias' direction. "I'll get a blanket for the nudist."

Mathias grinned up at her, chuckling. "Spoilsport. Look, even Marie can take this."

Marie felt her face get red and she averted her eyes. "D-don't push it! I'm just trying to be polite..." Kylie reappeared just then, tossing a blanket over Mathias as Ricardo rushed downstairs. As Mathias shamelessly wrapped the blanket around his waist, Marie looked about at the others. Other than Ricardo's leg injury and Mathias' shoulder wound, nobody was significantly hurt.

Picking up her remaining supplies, Marie noticed Ricardo turn and point downstairs. "Looks like they're here. Kyo's with the guards down there."

Marie sighed in relief, "Thank goodness."

"Hey! C'mere Marie! Kylie! Everyone!" Kyo's voice called from the lobby, "The guards wanna talk to us!"

"Ricardo, hold on." Marie pulled out some bandages, "Let me fix your leg up."

"I'm fine,"Ricardo continued down the stairs, still limping, "Worry about Mathias. He's the one who got poisoned!"

Marie turned to Mathias, who was adjusting his blanket. "Are you feeling better? How's your shoulder?"

"It smarts, but you took the edge off." Mathias grinned at her,"Thanks, pal. I owe ya." He patted her on the head, following Kylie and Ricardo down the stairs. Marie followed close, still on edge from the earlier assault. Her mind was buzzing with worry, and Marie couldn't help wondering why a ninja would attack _them_ of all people. The only hint of his intent was when he demanded to see Kylie.

What did she know that Marie didn't?

* * *

"It's time to wake up! Get up, Marie."

Marie sleepily sat up, rubbing her eyes. She looked up and saw Kylie standing in the doorway. She was already dressed and ready to go. "Morning, Kylie..."

"Did you manage any sleep? It's ten-thirty..."

Ten-thirty? Was it really that late? A look at the alarm clock on the nightstand told her that indeed, it was. Marie cast her eyes down. Who was she kidding? After last night, she could hardly sleep at all! She shook her head, "Actually..."

"I thought so." She smiled kindly at her and shrugged. "It's okay. I know you must've been restless after...that incident."

"I'm okay. I'll get over it."

As she swiveled to get up, Kylie put a hand on her shoulder. "So, are you ready for the initiation?"

The initiation! After last night, she'd nearly forgotten. "I kinda forgot about that."

"I already got our instructions from Quinn. We're supposed to meet with the entry guard at eleven. Hurry and meet me in the lobby. Everyone's waiting on you."

"Oh. Sorry. I'll be down in a few." As Kylie left, Marie checked that her supplies were still gathered up. She quickly got herself dressed and jogged downstairs.

"Morning everyone!" She greeted cheerfully. She saw Nidhogg sitting at a table in the lobby, apparently waiting for her.

"'Bout time you decided to get up." Kyo shot her one of his classic sharp looks, "It's not like you to sleep in.

"I'm sorry." Marie readjusted her hair bow. "I guess I was more tired than I thought..."

"We should be on our way," Kylie said, "Sorry Marie, but there's no time for you to get breakfast."

"Oh." Marie dug a chocolate bar out of her bag. "Then I guess a snack'll have to do."

Kylie chuckled at her. "Good thinking. Now, let's go."

* * *

"We have to _WHAT?!_" Mathias' question spoke for everyone. The guard's explanation of their initiation took everyone by complete surprise. They were going to be led into the Labyrinth, blindfolded, and then left to find their way back. Marie gulped, staring off into the depths of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth behind the soldier. To her, it looked like a lot like the jaws of a massive beast, thick with verdant wilderness. The only sign of human interference was the path worn down to bare dirt by the footsteps of countless other explorers. Altogether, it gave off an aura that clearly forbade human presence, as if nature itself rejected the world outside its forest.

"Don't look so scared. It's what all explorers do. I'll give you a blank map to chart out the paths with. Do any of you have any cartography experience?

"I know a little," Kylie answered, "I used to be a fisher. I used to write out maps of where the good fishing places were."

"Good. Then you can handle that mapping." The guard handed Kylie a long scroll of parchment, and a small case. "Your mapping tools are in that case. Now..." The guard pulled out a handful of blindfolds.

"W-w-wait! Don't we get an Ariadne Thread? The store wouldn't sell me any..." The guard shook his head at Kyo's query. "Pole Stone?" No. "Silver Whistle?" No again. "Dammit! What the hell kind of initiation is this?! It's suicide!"

"Settle down, Alchemist." The guard said, tying one blindfold around the protesting Kyo's eyes, "This is all part of becoming a real explorer. 'Sides, wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, eh?"

"I despise being surprised..." Kyo grumbled, folding his arms.

"Now your turn." Marie nervously nodded as the man tied the blindfold around her next.

"Wait a second." Marie heard Kylie ask, "What if we get separated?"

"You won't, I promise. Hold hands and I'll direct you to the drop off."

"Nngh. I don't like this..." Ricardo grumbled.

"You said it!" This from Mathias, "This sucks."

"Okay, that's everyone." The guard said, "Now, join hands and I'll lead on."

Though she couldn't see, Marie shuffled forward and grabbed someone's hand. Judging by the slender build, it must've been Kyo, or maybe Kylie. Someone behind her took her other hand. It was a much bigger and stronger grip than Kyo. Must be Ricardo or Mathias. She blindly walked forward, noticing the difference in sounds and smells as they entered the Labyrinth. The air was fresh and clear, and Marie could smell the aroma of wildflowers and other things she didn't quite recognize. The songs of unfamiliar birds echoed through the trees, and the cries of the forest fauna was all around. Marie got the impression that this would be an awe-inspiring sight if she could see it. The turns seemed to come at random. Left, right, straight, left... She quickly lost track of exactly where they were headed. Marie was soon left wondering exactly where they were.

After a long while of following one another, the guardsman spoke at last. "We have arrived. You may remove your blindfolds, Nidhogg."

As Marie pulled off her blindfold, she saw Kyo suddenly turn and clobber Mathias with his staff, who was behind him still blindfolded. "_That's_ for grabbing my ass, you freak!" Marie burst out laughing. It was quite the mental image!

"Yow!" Mathias rubbed his head, "I thought that was Marie ahead of me! The hand was small and cute..." This earned the Protector a second smack out of Kyo. By now, a bemused Ricardo was doubled over in laughter, and Kylie was grinning from behind her hand.

Even the soldier was biting back a laugh. "I..I'll take my leave now. Maybe we'll meet again. Good luck, Nidhogg." Snorting into his arm, the chortling soldier disappeared down the path.

Marie looked around. Yggdrasil was even more magnificent than she had imagined. Thick foliage overhead caused the afternoon sun to shine in beams below. Somehow, the beauty of this place failed to mask its malice. Its message couldn't be clearer.

Humans aren't welcome here.

"This is it," Kylie's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, "We've come this far." She drew out a quill from the cartography case and begun writing. "Let's start."

Kylie lead the way down the path, carefully mapping out their progress as they went. Nobody seemed to be able to relax. Everyone but Kylie had their weapons readied and kept looking back and forth between the trees. Marie guessed that they felt this malevolence too, as if the forest was rejecting them. After a while of tensely walking forward, Marie noticed that there was a door ahead. Marie reached for the door.

"Wait a second..."

Mathias' sudden words made Marie look back at the Protector. "What?"

"Did you just hear that sound? Like something digging..."

Kylie looked up from her map. "I thought it was just some forest animal."

"Sounds like it came from behind the door." Readying his shield, Mathias stepped in front of Marie. "Let me look. I'll block it off if its aggressive." Marie nodded and took a few steps back. She was impressed with Mathias' insight. For such a foolish guy, he seemed to have keen senses. Mathias pushed the door open.

The scene inside the room caused Marie to freeze up. A lone, violet-haired woman stood at the end of the hall. She was wearing a black leather bustier and shorts, with stiletto boots and fishnet stockings. This, and the huge whip coiled on her hip marked the explorer as a Dark Hunter. She had her back to them, and a shovel over one shoulder. Marie quickly realized that she was standing in front of three small monuments in the ground. The implications were sobering.

The woman must have noticed their approach. She turned around, silver eyes wet with tears. "What are _you_ looking at?" She grumbled irritably, "Go away."

"Sorry," Marie replied, "We didn't mean to intrude. We're on our initiation."

"Is that so?" Her eyes fell to the floor and she shook her head. "Just leave me here. Go and complete your job."

"Wait a second," Ricardo shook his head, "I can't just leave you alone. Where's your guild?"

The Dark Hunter just cast a look back towards the monuments and back at Ricardo. Marie understood immediately: her fellows must have died here...

"I'm sorry for your loss," Kylie approached the stranger, "You are welcome to come with me and-"

"Shut up, idiot." Kylie froze mid-sentence at the woman's harsh words, "You don't have any idea what just happened, do you?!"

"No," Kylie's answer was simple, but calm, "I guess I don't. I guess your friends were slain here, but that's all I can gather."

The woman scowled down at the ground, "It was my fault. I tried to take revenge for my guild, and now I'm the only one left...some leader I am."

"Revenge...?" Kylie looked back at the others, "Do you think...?"

"Hraesvelgr..." Kyo nodded grimly, "Damn."

She looked up, that sharp, cold glare softening. "You knew my guild? I don't remember any of you."

"We're the Nidhogg guild. Guildmaster Mark told us that a guild called Hraesvelgr snuck in here. He wanted us to find you." Kylie shook her head. "I knew we should've gone out yesterday..."

"That wouldn't've helped. It happened early yesterday morning."

Marie asked, "Did you stay here all night long? I bet you're exhausted."

The woman's expression darkened. "I've accepted my fate. It's only right that I die here like my companions did." She turned her back to Nidhogg. "You should leave me here. I deserve it."

"Don't say things like that!" Kylie grabbed the stranger and spun her back around. "Come back to town with us!"

Marie smiled, hoping to appeal to the woman, "I don't see why not. We explorers need to watch out for each other."

"Damn straight." Ricardo seconded, "Abandoning you would be as good as murder!"

"Nidhogg..."

"We'll go together," Marie reaffirmed, "I'm sure you can find new members back in Etria."

"Hm." The violet huntress smiled, "Very well. If you'll take a haunted girl like me, then who am I to say no?" She smiled. Marie thought she looked much softer smiling. "My name is Rebecca. What can I call you, Nidhogg?" Marie gladly introduced the others. Even though she was too late to save most of Hraesvelgr, she was glad she at least found Rebecca here.

Rustling from the underbrush startled Marie and made her jump. Rebecca drew her whip, snapping it in the air angrily.

"Dammit. Those bastards followed me..."

An enemy! Marie swallowed hard and stared back to find several pairs of eyes staring back from the shrubs. She could only stare back in fear, wondering what kind of beast could have stalked her.

* * *

**Name: **Marie Topel

**Age: **15

**Class: **Medic

**Hometown: **Etria

**Quote:** "I'll go anywhere for chocolate!"

**Bio:** A somewhat careless and goofy Medic who grew up in Etria, Marie is a kind girl with a big heart. She and Kyo are childhood friends and they seem to understand one another deeply. She was a student of Dr. Hoffman in the Ceft Apothecary up until last month, when she graduated to become the youngest certified doctor in Etria. In spite of her prodigious talent, Marie is still fairly childish and can be a bit selfish at times. Marie has an indomitable sweet tooth: she will complain loudly if she runs out of sweets at any time. She is also obsessed with cats, and can't stand to harm one, even if it's trying to kill her. Marie secretly wants to adopt a Great Lynx cub because they're her favorite of all the cats.

* * *

_There's Chapter 3. I decided to use the initiation from EO II for the party's first outing. Its my favorite of the first missions (I got my butt kicked a couple times trying to get out of there.) and I had a lot of fun writing it out. Expect Chapter 4 soon! (Special thanks to MagicMissile, Maglyt1, SketchyTetra, and TN Sarah for the reviews! It's really encouraging to read everyone's input!)_


	4. Fang and Blade

**_Chapter 4: Fang and Blade_**

Kylie drew her sword, her gaze locked on the gleaming eyes in the brush. One, two, then three pairs of eyes glowered back at her maliciously. She steadied her stance, meeting their gazes uneasily. "Monsters..."

"Heh, I ain't scared!" Ricardo swiped his club eagerly in the air, "Come at me, you...beast!"

"Was that supposed to be a taunt?" Kyo cast him one of his now famous stares. "Pathetic."

"Can it, bookworm." The Gladiator retorted, "It's coming!"

Just then, the animals rushed into the open. Each stood at least as tall as Kylie and wielded claws the length of small daggers. The red and black beasts spread out, reared up on their haunches, and bared their talon-like hands at the humans, hissing in defiance.

"Yikes. T-that's some big-ass rats..." Ricardo commented worriedly, hoisting his club to a ready position, "Just look at those claws! Nasty!"

"Moles," Rebecca cracked her whip in mid-air again, "A mediocre enemy. Their claws _are_pretty nasty though. I hope your sub-par armor's up to this."

"Huh. That from the girl wearing lingerie in battle." Rebecca's response was a steely glare at the cheeky Gladiator, who simply smiled back impishly. "What? Can't take a jab?"

"Moron." Rebecca's words were as sharp as a knife, "If you don't pay attention to the enemy, _you'll_be the next one I bury."

Mathias scrambled in front of the feuding warriors, baring his shield, "I'm the steel Protector! I'll cover your front!"

"Don't get careless," Kylie said, "We need to-" Kylie's eyes widened as she saw Mathias rush brazenly at one Mole, holding his shield before him as he raced forward with his sword pointed straight ahead. Kylie sighed and thought fast. She met his charge from the left, deciding on a scissor attack with him. She ran quickly and swung at the Mole. Her timing was off though, and Kylie missed her chance to team up. The blade landed a direct hit on the animal's head, but it did not fall. Instead, the beast leaped into the air, slashing at her face and only barely missing.

She saw Mathias' own attack go wild, and the miss sent him tripping over a rock. "Blast it!" He spat past a mouthful of dirt, "Hold still, you overgrown fur-ball!" The second Mole leaped on the fallen warrior's back, brutally slashing his back with its talons. Kylie drew back her sword for a second strike. Before she could close in, Rebecca's whip snapped across the animal's face, catching it across the jaw and knocking it back from Mathias. It recoiled, rubbing at its face with a paw and glaring at its attacker.

"Don't lose your footing, you simpleton!" Rebecca scolded him, "They love doing that. Get up! Or do you want to die!?" Rebecca cracked her whip at Mathias who scrambled to his feet, shooting the Dark Hunter an irate look.

"Eeek! K-Kyo! Get it away from me!" Kylie spun and saw a panicked Marie fleeing the third Mole, which was in close pursuit. Kyo launched a staff-attack from the animal's left, knocking it aside momentarily. The Mole screeched and retaliated with a swipe to his side.

"Agh, dammit!" He cringed back from its attack, grimacing at the enemy, "Crazy-ass bastard!"

"Oh no!" Marie rushed to Kyo, "Kyo, you're wounded! I'll heal you!"

"Save it. It's a scrape," Kyo raised his left hand, seeming to have recovered from the surprise attack, "Now it's _my_turn!" He launched a fireball at the beast, hitting it directly in the face.

So much chaos! Kylie couldn't keep focused on one enemy. It suddenly occurred to her that they were barely doing any real damage to the Moles running scattered around like this. She decided a quick reassessment would work best, assuming the others would listen.

"Listen up!" Kylie ordered, earning some querying looks from Nidhogg, and a distrustful stare out of Rebecca, "We better regroup!"

"What are you planning, Kylie?" Ricardo asked, swinging at one approaching Mole.

"Ricardo, take point with me and Mathias! Rebecca! Kyo! Marie! Fall back and stay to the rear! Rebecca, cover Marie and Kyo! Kyo, try some of your fire on them! Marie, stand by and be ready to heal us!"

"Oho, look who thinks she's the queen." Rebecca was smiling in spite of her comment. "I'll be fine, _thanks_. Focus on your own damn hide!"

"Don't be like that! We have to work together!" The Dark Hunter just ignored her, whipping at a nearby Mole. Kylie shook her head. Was she that unconvincing of a leader? Or maybe Rebecca was just being bullheaded...

"Whatever. You newcomers need to learn how to fight alone. Your team's only as strong as its weakest member, and I refuse to be that weak link!" She lashed the Mole again, this time catching its giant claws in her whip. It struggled, but became increasingly entangled in the huntress' whip. "Now die, bastard!" The beast's eyes went wide as she flung it into a tree, where the rodent collapsed unmoving to the forest floor.

"Rebecca...!" Kylie shook her head again. So stubborn! Fine, then. If she wanted to be a renegade, then she wasn't going to stop her anymore! "Is _anyone_listening to me?!" She barked, showing a bit more anger than she'd meant.

"I'm right with you Kylie," Ricardo took up a stance at Kylie's right and glared briefly at Rebecca, "even if _some_of us aren't!"

"I heard you too," Kylie turned to Kyo, who was standing just behind her, "Just keep them outta my face, leader," She saw Kyo steady his stance from a short distance, "Now, leave the alchemy to me! I got something good for this overgrown fuzzball."

"Oh! Don't forget me!" Mathias scrambled in front again, "Just say the word, and I'll do my thing!" His foolhardy grin broadened and he raised his sword.

"Guys! Here they come again!" Marie shrieked, racing behind Kylie, "Do something!" Sure enough, the remaining two the Moles were racing forward, claws bared and shrieking madly.

"I plan to!" Kyo raised his gauntlet again, "Eat _this_!" Kyo's gauntlet started to glow again. Kylie backed up, giving the upcoming fire plenty of room. To her surprise, a green orb shot out instead, smacking one Mole right in the face. He had to have seen the baffled look on her face, and the Alchemist smiled at her. "I'm no one-trick pony! This is my best formula!"

Best formula? Kylie saw no visible effect on the animal. It just wiped at its face and screamed, resuming its charge. She squared her stance and waited. She decided to let the mad animal rush straight into her range.

"Damn!" Ricardo spat as he slammed into the second one, "What the hell was that?! Useless! Stick with something that actually _works_, ya nutcase!"

"Give it a second before you start calling me names!" Kyo barked back, a smile forming on his face as he gestured at the enemy, "Watch." As Kylie turned back to her foe, she saw it suddenly flinch and gag. The beast sunk to all fours and retched, blood trickling from its mouth as its eyes rolled. The Mole fell to the ground, twitching and flailing in a rather unpleasant way.

Kylie finally understood, "You could've just said it was poison."

"And spoil the surprise? That's what happens when-" Kyo's dark little grin suddenly evaporated and he pointed, "Watch it! On your right!" Kylie turned just in time to see the last Mole leap at her, talons bared. She tried to parry, raising her sword for the counter.

"Oh no you don't!" Mathias shoved himself into the fray, taking the angry animal's assault in her place! The Mole's claws screeched and scrabbled across the Protector's shield as the beast tried to breach his defense. Its wild swipes occasionally lunged over the edge of the shield, slashing at the humans underneath. With one final shove, Mathias knocked the enemy down from its stance. Kylie saw her opening and drove her sword through the Mole's chest in one blow, giving the blade a twist for good measure. After confirming that the Mole was dead, she surveyed the area, searching for more enemies.

"It's finally over..." Kylie saw Kyo bracing himself on his knees, clutching at the gash in his chest. "About...damn time."

"Sit down." Marie was already at the injured Alchemist's side, drawing out more bandages and salves. "I'll fix these wounds."

"Stop fussing over me, Marie. It's embarrassing..." Marie seemed to ignore Kyo's complaints, and he was subjected to her treatments in spite of his halfhearted objection.

"Haha!" Mathias sheathed his sword, beaming with pride, "Haven't had a battle like this in months! Brings back memories of my Lagaard days."

"Huh. You sure don't _seem_experienced." Rebecca scoffed.

"I'm practically a veteran!" Mathias' boundless enthusiasm didn't waver for a moment. "I've traversed a full two floors! I'm that good!"

Kyo looked up from his spot, his analytical skepticism returning. "Two floors. Seriously, that's not impressive at all. Doesn't the Lagaard Labyrinth have at least a dozen more levels to it?"

"Eh... Oh! I'd better go scout for enemies! Don't want to get jumped now!" Mathias deflected Kyo's commentary and shuffled off to the doorway, making a point of looking around rather showily.

Rebecca shook her head, snorting in derision. "I'm surrounded by fools."

"Give us credit, Rebecca." Kylie scolded the rude woman, "This was a first battle for most of us."

Rebecca shot her a cold stare. "So? What difference does it make? I've been all the way to the fourth floor. I've seen talented people fall like leaves before a storm. If you cannot respect the Labyrinth, then you'll never live to escape it. That is the one infallible rule of this place. Learn it."

"Rebecca..." Kylie was at a loss. Though harsh, Kylie couldn't deny Rebecca's logic. Even so, it was depressing to think of it like that.

"Uh, should we get going?" Ricardo was visibly uncomfortable, and he was looking between Kylie and Rebecca uneasily. "We can't get back to town by just standing here."

Kylie nodded. He was right. Now that the enemy was dead, there was no further point in staying put. She walked past the cold-eyed huntress and over to where Marie and Kyo were. "Kyo, are you doing better now? How's your wound?"

Kyo brushed Marie's hands away as he got to his feet. "It's a lot better now. Thanks."

"Then let's stop wasting time." Rebecca stalked off ahead, flipping the doors open with a hand.

"Nothing got by me!" Beamed Mathias, sliding in front of Rebecca, "How's about a kiss for a job well done?" The hapless romeo scrunched his eyes closed and puckered his lips at her.

Rebecca folded her arms. "Quit clowning around."

Mathias either ignored her or he wasn't listening. He was still standing in the doorway, Kylie noticed Ricardo creeping up alongside Rebecca, holding up the carcass of one of the Moles by its scruff.

"What in the world are you-?" Kylie's question was cut off when Ricardo suddenly held up a finger to his lips, a roguish gleam in his dark eyes.

"Ssh. Watch this." He whispered. Kylie was confused. What was he doing with that thing? He quietly snuck up closer and held up the Mole in front of Mathias. He pushed the dead animal into Mathias' face, watching his response. To Kylie's bewildered surprise, he lunged forward, planting a kiss right on the Mole's face.

"Huh? Fuzzy..." Mathias opened one eye. "Uwah!" He jumped back, wiping his mouth and spitting.

Ricardo dropped the body, bursting out in laughter. "Gotcha! You should see the look on your face!" Kylie and Marie couldn't help chuckling at Ricardo's prank, and even Kyo seemed to find the humor in Mathias' comical mistake.

"Pfft!" Kyo snorted mirthfully into his hand. "Rebecca's right. You _are_a fool."

"Not fair!" Mathias grimaced, wiping his face in his arm, "Rebecca, that was just cruel. Why did you let him do that?!"

"Just walk already." Rebecca shoved him roughly ahead.

"Blah..." Mathias pouted, shuffling aside.

Kylie drew the map once again, "Let's carry on, shall we?" As she once again took the lead, she never noticed the shadowed figure watching from the nearby treetops, silently judging the six explorers below.

"Nidhogg..." The raven-haired ninja growled, narrowing his eyes balefully at the aforementioned guild, "Don't get too careless...revenge isn't nearly as much fun on the deceased." Chuckling darkly, the assassin retreated once again into the green depths.

* * *

**Name: **Mathias Edwards

**Age: **27

**Class: **Protector

**Hometown: **High Lagaard

**Quote:** "Just relax!"

**Bio: **A carefree Protector from Lagaard, Mathias is somewhat irresponsible and he can seem foolish, Mathias has a surprising brave streak and keen senses. Unfortunately, that same acute awareness is often directed at women, and he will flirt unceasingly with any female unlucky enough to be within earshot. He has been kicked out of three guilds for his wily behavior towards girls. Other than that bit, he gets oddly evasive if pressed about his past. He _does_have a good heart though, and he takes his job seriously...most of the time.

* * *

_Here's Chapter 4! Sorry about the slow update. Writer's block sucks. Count on updates at least once a month or so from here on out. Once again, major thanks to all my reviewers for the support__! You guys are so awesome!_


	5. Ambush

_**Chapter 5: Ambush**_

For the past two hours, the six explorers had wandered, seeking the exit to this place. Kylie was once again in the lead, calmly mapping out the route as they walked through the forest. Marie, meanwhile, wouldn't stop talking about how she'd like to find some fruit. Kyo had barely said a word, though he was apparently becoming increasingly irritated by Mathias. The cheerful protector was marching in front, alternating between humming bar songs and singing bizarre, made-up lyrics to them. And then, there was Rebecca, as serious as sin. She was taking up the rear, scanning the surroundings with a solemn look, her whip ever at the ready. Even Ricardo was starting to get bored, and he just wanted to get back to Etria, the sooner the better. The sun was starting to set, and shadowy trees made it increasingly difficult to see. He was really looking forward to a good drink at the Golden Deer tonight.

"_Marchin' round this forest,_

_Searchin' for sweet riches!_

_Been runnin' round in circles!_

_And heavy armor itches!"_

"For the last time, STOP SINGING!" Kyo finally blared, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Dear gods...that one was even worse than that limerick about your underwear...!"

Mathias shrugged nonchalantly. "C'mon, Kyo. Just tryin' to keep morale up. Everyone's so solemn..."

"As they should be. You're the only one still acting like a damn clown." Rebecca retorted, "If you don't pay attention, you're going to get completely devoured in here."

"Party poopers..." Mathias turned back to Kylie, "_You_ like my singing, right boss?"

"'Like' is not the word I had in mind..." Kylie answered carefully, "It is...amusing. Yes, amusing's the word for it."

"See? Quit being such a sourpuss, Becka!" Rebecca wrinkled her nose at the nickname as Mathias sidled over to Ricardo. "Yo, Ricky! You have any good songs from 'cross the sea? I could use some new material."

"Don't give him ideas." Kyo shot Ricardo one of his piercing glares, "Seriously, _don't._"

Ricardo smiled a bit. Sure, he knew quite a few, but the lyrics were very rude. Besides, he got the distinct feeling Kyo would try to kill him if he sang them right now. "Ahaha, I know a few, but I can't sing 'em in front of a kid...kinda raunchy."

"Yeah?" Mathias' smile didn't falter one bit, "We gotta swap songs sometime! I got lots of good ones for all occasions!"

"The least you can do is act like you value your lives." Rebecca shook her head and folded her arms. "Unbelievable..."

"...Seriously?" Kyo sighed, slapping a palm to his forehead in frustration, "Gods...how'd I wind up with guildmates like this?"

"Keep your cool, Kyo." Kylie said over her shoulder, "And Rebecca, why do you have to constantly bring that up? Its important, but so is keeping your spirits up. So long as we work together, I don't see the harm in relaxing just a little bit."

Ricardo nodded in agreement. Sure, he felt a bit tense himself, but he saw no point in being gloomy about it. Rebecca's constant bitterness was starting to get to him.

"Wah!" Marie's sudden yelp surprised Ricardo and made him spin around. She had apparently tripped and fallen face-first on the ground. "Owwwie..."

"You okay, Marie?" Ricardo walked over to her, offering his hand to her as he crouched down to her level.

"I don't think so..." She took the proffered hand and tried to stand, only to stumble again.

He caught her quickly before she completely fell, realizing that her foot was caught in a hole. "Marie, you're stuck!"

"I see that..." She frowned down at the hole. "Agh, I think I twisted my ankle..."

Ricardo noticed that she wasn't caught too badly. He grabbed a hold of Marie's leg and tugged, trying to yank her loose. "Hang on, Marie. Let me-"

"OWCH!" Marie shoved him back hard onto his butt, rubbing her ankle as she glowered at him, "That hurts, you idiot!"

"S-sorry...!" Ricardo scampered back into a crouching position. Now that he took a second look at her predicament, he could see that Marie's foot was twisted at a bad angle. No wonder she was upset...

"She's hurt, Ricardo. Pulling on her won't help..." Kylie knelt down and carefully started to dig out Marie's stuck foot. "C'mon, give me a hand."

Feeling more than a little stupid, Ricardo started digging around. It took only a few minutes before he managed to unbury her. Still cringing, Marie withdrew her foot from the hole. "That really hurt..."

"Can you stand?" Kyo asked.

"I think I twisted my ankle..." Marie was still rubbing her foot, glaring at the hole. "Stupid hole! Who puts a hole right on the path!? That's so not fair!"

"Seriously, Marie. Can you walk?" Kyo's expression had changed from annoyance to concern, and he was looking her over worriedly.

"I'll be okay..." Marie stumbled to her feet, but promptly collapsed into Kyo. "Ow!"

"Sit down, Marie. Let me have a look..." Kyo gently lowered her to the ground and looked her over. Ricardo noticed that her ankle was twisted at an odd angle, and Marie whimpered at the examination. "Well, you definitely messed your ankle up." Kyo sighed, shaking his head, "Better get you fixed up before we try to continue on."

"We got some Medica, right?" Mathias tossed a bottle of medicine to Kyo."Use get some of that and we're golden!"

Rebecca simply gave him another exasperated stare. "That won't work. Not on this." She looked back and forth among the trees, seeming to be looking for something. "If we don't splint that, she'll just slow us down."

"Guys..." Marie looked up at the others, "I'm sorry. I screwed up..."

"Hey, stop that. We're a team. We've gotta look out for each other." Kylie turned back to Rebecca. "What are you looking for, anyway? Do you have an idea?"

"The vines in this area are quite tough. If I can find some good ones, I think I can fix her leg up." Rebecca started to walk off into the trees, her eyes fixed on the canopy.

"Your insight is appreciated, Rebecca." Ricardo stood up and joined the Dark Hunter. "I'll take a look with you. What's this vine look like?"

"It's a thick, green stalk with a three-leaf cluster. Do not touch the two-leaf ones. Poisonous." Rebecca didn't even pause to talk, still hoisting her whip over a shoulder. Ricardo nodded and searched the trees with her.

"Wait a second!" Ricardo turned back to Kylie, who was already walking in front of them, "Don't wander off. We should stay together."

"I don't see any nearby. We have no choice."

Kylie sighed, "Ricardo, help me out here."

Ricardo shrugged. "We don't have a choice, Kylie. If we go all together, it'll just take longer. I won't go far, I promise."

"You don't have to come," Rebecca pushed past Kylie and continued down the path, "I can do this alone. You stay with your coward of a leader."

"That was uncalled for!" Kylie shot her a piercing glare, "I'm just trying to be careful! You're the one who keeps going on about respecting the Labyrinth!"

Rebecca smiled sharply at her. "Heh, I knew that'd get a reaction. I know what I'm doing, so you'll just have to trust me."

"Then at least let one of us come with you. Y'know, just to be _safe_?"

"Ugh..." Ricardo yelped in surprise when Rebecca suddenly grabbed him by the arm. "You. Come."

Ricardo pulled out of her grip and scouted the trees again. "Green with three leaves, huh? That shouldn't be too hard to find. Let's hurry and find it."

"Tch." Rebecca stalked ahead of him, barely even bothering to respond. He shot the woman a glare before returning to his search. Just _what_ was her problem!?

Several awkward minutes passed while he scanned the trees. Sure there had to be some of those vines nearby, right? He sure wasn't seeing any... "Hey, Rebecca." He looked down at her. "Are you sure-?" He stopped mid-question and froze in place. Rebecca was nowhere to be seen. "Rebecca?" Ricardo was getting concerned. He turned around, hoping that maybe she was just behind him. No such luck.

She was gone.

* * *

Rebecca was in a rotten mood. These greenhorn explorers were seriously getting on her nerves. First, there was that weak excuse of a "leader". That girl was getting almost sickening with her "we're a team" crap. Any explorer worth their salt knew how to survive without leaning on the damn guild like a crutch. Then, there was the "team" themselves. Gods, what a bunch of children. Especially that dimwit Protector, he was just about intolerable. It felt good to finally have some room to breathe, even if it meant having to babysit that Gladiator boy. She had to admit, Ricardo was the only one in Nidhogg who seemed to have any brains at all. At least those vines were common here. All she had to do was find one, then get the hell moving. She wanted to get back to Etria before nightfall.

"So, you wandered off alone...again."

Rebecca whirled around, narrowing her eyes at the familiar voice behind her. The dim evening light did little to expose the man, but she knew exactly who this was.

"Nathan..." Rebecca narrowed her eyes bitterly, "You backstabbing bastard," She could not see the ruby-eyed ninja, but she knew that cocky bastard would be smiling at her, "Couldn't bring yourself to fight fairly, could you?"

"You should have known better than to defy the project." Nathan's voice echoed from the shadows, "You only have yourself to blame."

"I wish I'd killed you when I had the chance. Letting you live was a mistake on my part."

Nathan chuckled darkly. "You know, it's not too late for forgiveness. If you just obey us, I can arrange for Megara to-"

"I don't care what that she-devil wants!" Rebecca cracked her whip angrily, "You know the project is too dangerous. You are tampering with forces far beyond your understanding!"

"Weak words from a weak woman." Rebecca suddenly felt a hand tap her from behind. She whirled around, and found Nathan standing behind her. He was wielding a dagger in each hand, black fluid oozing along the edges. The expression on his face was cold and baleful, like a predatory beast. "You are a heartless wretch. It's little wonder your so called 'allies' hate you."

"Shut up."

"Is that any way to talk to your brother?" His glare transitioned into a roguish gleam, "Oh how the mighty have fallen."

"You stopped being my brother when you stopped considering the consequences!" Rebecca snapped her whip at him. The whip cut straight through the shadow-clone, and Nathan's chuckle reverberated from behind her again.

"Poor, foolish Rebecca. It must hurt knowing your selfishness killed so many."

Rebecca whirled around again. "Say that again. I dare you."

"While you're busy being such a narcissistic hermit, the fun is just beginning. Go ahead. Struggle against fate. It'll be fun to watch you get your 'friends' killed..._again_! Try to save them! Or are you too _weak_!?" Rebecca could only glare at the retreating ninja as his voice faded into the trees.

But wait...what the hell did he mean again? Was he actually going to-?!

"Rebecca!" She spun around yet again. This time, it was just Ricardo, and Rebecca sighed in relief. "Where the hell were you? I found that vine." He held up a long length of vine.

"Well, good work." Rebecca nodded. Her attentions were on the shadows. It would be just like Nathan to strike at right about now...

"We should be getting back to-" A loud screaming cut Ricardo's commentary short. The two warriors exchanged troubled looks and shot off down the path after the shout.

* * *

**Name: **Kyo Nagatame

**Age: **19

**Class: **Alchemist

**Hometown: **Etria

**Quote:** "Think you can outsmart me? Think again."

**Bio: **Very intelligent, but also rather rude, Kyo is the social oddball of Nidhogg. Kyo is a self-professed bookworm who tends to prefer his own company to others'. Though a loner, he is very loyal to those who earn his respect. Kyo has a very keen sense of justice in spite of his attitude, and he won't hesitate to do what he believes is right, regardless of others' opinion. He is particularly protective of Marie at times, and he tends to act like a big brother towards her. Kyo actually has a crush on her, but he will adamantly deny it if confronted.

* * *

_You know, there __is__such a thing as too many ideas... After struggling with which direction to take the plot, I'm back with a new chapter! I just had to get my *^% together, haha. I'll have more soon! Thanks for all the constructive reviews. I love ya guys so much!_


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